Surface-cleaning machine.



H. S. IRVINE. SURFACE CLEANING MACHINE. I APPLICATION PiLED NOV.7,1912.

Patented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

o asm WITNESSES s. IEVINTIL SURFACE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 11:03. 7,1912.

Patented. May 5, 1914.

2 SHBETSSHEBT 2.

:9 VENT OR aWMP R ,MU', Alz'omey to" rovide-a' machine-of the character de-' To all whom it may concern:

'now an'n s; mvnm, or rnnr'iroiv, N W JERSEY;

smacncnnsnme macrrrun.

v peciflcation of Letters Patent. Appl1cation.flled llovemb'er 7; 1912. finial No; 730,045.

Patented Ma s, 191 4;

Be it known 'that' lI, Howaim' 111 a citizen of the. United; States, rsidin at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and tate of'New J ersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Surface-Cleaning Machines, of'which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to surface 10 cleaning machines whereby the surface dirt is agitated. by suitable brush means, and collected by-the generation and conducting of air'curren'ts through dirt retaining means pervioustoarr.

The rincipal ob jects of ingentionare scribed which is simplein -eonstruction, and

hence, inexpensive to manufacture; s machine havingbcapacitv for cleaning a surface- '20 of considers le -wi dth,fas it ismovedfthere over; and, one capablepf operation and ad 'us tment soasito perform its function m an efficient manner.

' Other obiectsof toy invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with th'eg'accompanyin draw ings formingar'partof thisspecificat-wn, and

i so

the-saine41ig pis'tahleaiiiee v dew; of ms tfn g utggused inf 001111201310 in which drawings-2J1;

ong'it-udinalsectional. Vic? through? aina'c inc constructed according to myinvention.*fEigI-zkis a, top plan view of i apjelevation of'an-acb Fig; 4=is a' sectional Freak.

withth"'j-fork.dfsclosedjin .Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevatioii'of means'forattach- A irig thc'du's't collectors to the air ducts. Fig.

12 and caster-wheel 17.

6 is a sectional view disclosing clutch mecha nism. Fig. ms an end view. of the brush hood, showing means for attaching it tothe frame, and gearing to operate the brush.

- Similar characters refer to similar parts throhghout the several; views.

Asuitable'vehicle is provided referably comprising a frame 8, supported y wheels The frame 8- may be built up and comprise longitudinally ex 'tending members-9 coming tofgether tat" the orm'a ongue forward endjof the vehicle, to 10; and, transverse members 11 rigidly spacmg members 9.' .The wheels 12 are carried by an axle 13 rotatable in bearings '14 on; frame members 9. The wheel 17 is disposed at the forward end of the vehicle frame 10, and is adjustable vertically with respect thereto, for a purposeto be'subsequently set forth. This wheel is preferably mounted in a forked member 16, having a screw threaded stem 18 passing through frame 8 at tongue 10. This stern carries a nut- 19, having a depending annular flange 20, to fit into the aperture in frame'8, and a nut 21 below the nut 19, and abutting against said flange;

but not binding against said frame. By this means,'thewheel may follow in the path of movement imparted to frame 8.-

The device comprises a fra-me'B, on one end of which are supported on the shelf portions 28; of one of the transverse members 11, dust.

-collectors 25, and from the other end is suspended by means-of links 29, a brush hood Intermediate .the (lust collectors 25 and the brush hood 23, is' a substantially circular" fan-casing24 connected on one side to the ripper side of the brush hood 23 by a plural-' 1% of spaced-apart conduits 26, and connect e 25-, bya pair of conduits 27.

'- Chamber 24 receives a fan adapted,-

upon'rotation; to draw air through hood 23 and ducts 26., and forward the same through ducts 27 anddust collectors 25. "Each'of the- .dust collectors preferably comprises a rigid outer casing 31 having an opening32, for

egress of all, remote from the cornmunlca -t-1 on 'of the duct 27 {therewitln a bag" 33,

within .casing 31, and over opening '32 therein, this bagbeing pervious to a-ir.

on itsopposite. side to the dust collectors butadapted to retain the; solid matter con veyed from' h ood'23. As convenient means fun-facilitating removal; of solid matter from the casings- 31 l pr'ovide a flange 2H adjacentthe-end-of each casing 31 and having upwardly eitending screw threaded stems:-

35. On each duct 27 1' provide a flange 36,

having'ppenirigsfiij to receive said stems. so. thatwhen-thumb nuts 38 are screwed upon said stems, the casing 31 is'held rigidly with duct 27..t;o. compel the air to find egress,

- As preferred tion' transmittin means designated generally by fi9i j. Eco, wheel 12 carries with it,

w-ro'tfltio I mien 41-, ea i pmion rotatin a shaft 42,

means for actuating fan 30. .b movement of the wheels 12 I provide mogear 40, .comeshing with which shafts are axiallyaline and carried bg 43 lon-frame-fiI llhese shafts, t roug' h e utches 44,'imp ait tf-movement to :1

shaft however' fsnch clutches are adapted to permit regmrd mdvIement of the Vehicle with 45. 'When the vehicle moves forward,'

' out the shafts 42 imparting movement to shaft The fan shaft is designated b 46, and suitable gearing, comprising co-mes in gears 47 and 48, the formerbeing rigid witfi shaft 46 and the latter rigid with a shaft 49; and co-meshing bevel cars 50 and 51, the former carried by shift 49 and the latter by shaft 45, impart-s movement from said latter'shaft to the fan shaft, in order to create air currents as previously described.-

Each clutch 44 preferably comprises a ratchet-wheel 59, rigid with shaft 45, and a ratchet co-act-iug therewith, carried by, shaft 42 as through flanged wheel 54:. Thus, as the wheels 12 rotate in a forward direction, movement is imparted to shaft 45 successively through gears 40, pinions 41, shafts 42, wheels 54, ratchets 53 and ratchet-wheels \vardly, the ratchet 53 does not engagewith.

the teeth of wheel 52, so as to impart movement to shaft 45 and the fan'30 is rendered inactive.

Within hood 23 I provide an agitator 55 for the surface dirt, which comprises a drum-like brush 56, mounted'on a shaft 57.

This shaft extends through" verticallyydis- .posed'elongated apertures 58 in the. end;

walls of hood 23, and has .a sprocket 5911i, each end. The shaft 57 is rigidly and ad justably supported by depending brackets 60 having slots 61 to receive the stems of bolts 62, carried by frame 8.- Thus by. raising or-lowering frames 60, the brush 56 may be adjusted relative to hood 23, so as to successively perform its function to agitate particles of dirt within said hood.

As means for imparting movement to shaft 57, I provide a sproeket-wheel'63 on each shaft 42 adapted. to drive a second sprocket-wheel (i4, revolubly mounted on the frame'B, above sprocket-wheel-59, through Y lows: Assuming that the vehicle is forwarded over the surface to be cleaned, as the However, if the vehicle moves r'car- Q .upon said stem, said stem wheels rotate movementis simultaneously imparted to brush 56 and fan 30. The brush 56 breaks up or agitates the particles of dirt on the surface, and within the hood 23. This fan 30, throughrotation,-, causes suction ih ducts 26 drawing the particles ,of dirt from hood 23 and forwarding the same through ductsI27 to dust collectors 25. The relative. proximity of hood 23 and brush 56 to th surface upon which the machine acts, may

be adjusted by axial movement of fork 16,

relatively toframe S or the brush may be adjusted relatively to such surface, by

raising or lowering brackets 60; v

Changes in details may be ,made without departing from the spirit or scope .of my in-- vention; but,

. l claim'z- N1. A surface cleaning machine comprlsmg a vehicle fran'ie,'a suction device mounted thereon, including a brush hood, afan casing a. fan, a dirt collector, said hood, casing and collector being rigidly' vconnected, a brush'rotatably mounted in said hood, means foztyoperating said brush, means for adjustare said brush independently of said hood, and means for adjusting saidsfraineand simultaneously adjusting said hood; j

2. In a surface cleaning machine-,- the comdepending therefrom, andxa tongue extendingfrom said frame, of a forked member, a

wheel rotatably carried in the lower end thereof, a,.thread 'ed stemlfor'med u on the upper end' of said memberya nut't readed assin through said ton ue, another nut thread on sa d bina-tion with a-vehic'le fra'rne,;a brush-hood stem, at, ependingflange formedupomsgd see'ond'mention'ed nut, andsaid flange hear- :ing against the first mentioned nut.

Tna surface cleaning machine the combination with a vehicle frame, 0 a brush @hood suspended from said frame, said hood having its ends Iprovided with vertical slots, a brusherotata y mounted therein a shaft for-said brush passing throu h said vertical slots. de ndin brackets or supporting saidbras 1, sai depending brackets being provided with longitudinal slots in their upper ends and a set screw engaged in said slot and saidvehicle frame.

. 4 HOWARD s. IRVINE.

" Witnesses: 1 LEON A. Daalm, Jas. T. SU'rPHeN, Jr. 

